I had never been outside of Europe since I was properly able to understand my surroundings and from the outset I was slightly daunted by the prospect of going to Uganda, a so called developing country, to volunteer for two weeks. However, it had always been something I had planned to do and I was determined to challenge myself.
Concordia preparation weekend really put me at ease and dispelled any worries that I had. Particularly with me being a volunteer virgin, it also really helped in terms of making sure I thought of everything I needed to take – plastic bags for dirty washing are a great tip!
Once in Uganda I was met by the leaders of the work camp. They were really great people, as were all of the volunteers at the camp; locals and internationals alike. There were 7 internationals and 9 Ugandan volunteers and we also got plenty of help from the local community. I suppose now is the time to tell you what we were actually there for. The project was based in Kikooba, one of the branches of the Uganda Pioneer’s Association (UPA) and its aim was to continue building a health centre and provide AIDS education to the local community. It was also based next to a school where there were about 140 children.
(Sam with the children of the School)
We were successful in all of our aims, although we would have liked to have finished the health centre but it just wasn’t meant to be. UPA do hope to finish it this year though, which I was pleased to hear. On one of the days, in order to raise AIDS awareness, we staged short dramas for the local community and encouraged discussion afterwards. It was very successful, with many community members attending and I think its success was largely due to the shear enthusiasm of some of the volunteers in handing out flyers and promoting the day in the local town.
All of the volunteers were so friendly, I had been expecting more international people but it didn’t make the slightest bit of difference, everyone got on brilliantly. We had lots of fun both working and relaxing, particularly in the evenings. Most nights we spent dancing around the campfire to the beat of the African drums or down in the town having some drinks and talking to the locals. One evening we had a cultural night where everyone had to present things to do with the culture of their country, in the form of dance, song or talk. It was a wonderful night and all of us from England composed a song about our experience of Uganda and the camp. Although not really to do with English culture, it showed our creative natures and went down really well.
We were also lucky enough to be invited by community members helping on the project to a ceremony taking place within the local community, an Introduction (an Engagement ceremony) and a Gift Circle (gifts are given to the people that invited you and many take place so that the gifts become shared around the community). It was a great privilege to experience the culture firsthand, something I think that no ordinary tourist to a country can actually do.
Probably my favourite part of the project was spending time with the children of the infants’ school. They were aged from around 4 to 12 and were truly amazing. It was wonderful to see children that had not been corrupted by western society, they were so innocent. On a number of occasions they gave me some of their food, which after speaking to a few people I had decided would be ruder to refuse than accept. It humbled me greatly; they had nothing and yet were so willing to give - unbelievable. It was great fun playing with them and although there was a bit of a language barrier we tried to teach each other words. Naturally there were a few that were more confident than the others and spent more time with us, and those children really won my heart.
From start to finish the experience was amazing, even getting used to using a latrine was interesting to say the least. The combination of the worthwhile work, the culture, the fantastic people and the fantastic children has given me some magnificent memories. I am missing it all so much, but hopefully not for too long because I am planning on volunteering in Uganda again next year. I hope then to be able to strengthen the friendships I have already forged and help with more important work, hopefully at the infants’ school as I would love to benefit the children there.
I wasn’t sure if I would, but I’ve caught the volunteering bug! Make sure you do too
(Above: The site before the construction of the classroom started)
When I first signed up to attend the North South Preparation weekend in March 2008 I had no real idea of where I wanted to volunteer or what I wanted to do, just a vague notion of somewhere exotic and something philanthropistic. My time with Concordia and Uganda Voluntary Development Association (UVDA) spent helping to construct a mud-brick classroom in a remote Ugandan village certainly fulfilled both criteria and more.
Having previously travelled fairly far and wide (think South America, India etc.) I was fairly confident that a trip to Africa wouldn’t be a vastly different experience and should be quite straightforward. Sometimes, however, things don’t always go to plan. Africa was, and is, amazing. I was staggered by the people there and their way of life. The situation there is so far removed from anywhere I had been before, that I almost couldn’t comprehend it. The very core things that I took as absolute were not the same here. You couldn’t get an ambulance in some places, even if you had the money. People didn’t have large families out of choice but out of necessity, it really was survival. People did not plan for the future; sadly, life expectancies can be so low that it doesn’t make sense to save money/invest. Standards of education varied wildly, from learning the internal workings of refrigerators at school (despite there being no electricity for miles around) to not knowing that men had landed on the moon.
Despite all of the above, the people here were happy. And I loved it. Being a foreigner in a remote place meant a lot of attention. The children were great, very hardworking and equally fun-loving. A simple photo, shown on the tiny screen of a digital camera, was enough to send great groups of kids yelling and jumping. The adults were equally pleased to see you, either to practise their English or just to say hello. I’ve never been somewhere were the people were so genuinely friendly.
The project that I was involved with was in collaboration with UVDA. After arriving in the bustling, hectic yet friendly capital of Uganda, Kampala, I met with the organisation’s Director, Rogers. Rogers’ tiny office was in a run-down shack, on the outskirts of town. I remember thinking, “whoops, what have I gotten myself into here then?” Upon entering the dark room I was greeted with a huge bear-hug from a large man who later revealed himself to be Rogers. “Welcome to Uganda! We’re so very happy that you could come!” And it really felt like he meant every word.
(in the picture: the sleeping quarters)
The village was about 150kms east of Kampala and so I was given instructions on how to reach it. The manic journey involved several matatus (shared taxis) and boda-bodas (taxi motorbikes) and a good 8 or 9 hours, but I finally made it in one piece. The village was a marked change from the busy capital, there was no mains electricity for at least 10km in any direction. There was no running water; however, there were several pump-action wells that had been installed by the government. Food variation was hard to come by, the staples being matokee (green bananas) and rice. The occasional chicken could be purchased at great expense if so desired, but after attempting to digest a particularly sinewy and rubbery cockerel we mostly stuck to being vegetarian. In some ways the accommodation exceeded my expectations. We were kindly allowed to stay in a compound building that belonged to one of Uganda’s Chief Justices who grew up in the village and kept the compound as a holiday retreat. The rooms were bare mud and concrete with no glass in the windows, but Uganda’s climate is pleasant enough to not warrant any. There were spare foam mattresses which we gladly accepted and, once our mosquito nets were strung from the wood and straw roof, we had a fairly comfortable place we could call home.
(In the picture: Volunteers at the beginning of the work)
The project itself involved the construction of a new classroom for the village’s government-run school. Education conditions were appalling: one large classroom for over 700 children. Most classes were conducted outside on the grass as the classroom could only hold around 40 children. We worked alongside the local building expert, who directed us in our tasks. One day we may be mixing concrete for mortar, the next day ensuring the bricks are correctly in place. Occasionally we would become more involved with the children, playing frisbee or handing out prizes for the End-of-Term reports, but this was the exception rather than the rule. Perhaps the only disappointing part of the project was how little we managed to achieve in the time allotted. Three weeks was not really enough time to make a big impact on the site and a couple of months would be required to finish the classroom in its entirety. A lack of funding also meant that materials and labour was limited. A small increase would have made a big difference.
(Above: Curious children during the work)
(The work achieved at the end of the project)
Once again the people could not be faulted. So optimistic, they kept the spirit of the project alive. Without them it would be easy to see it as an exercise in futility, but they made you realise that with hope anything was achievable.
I really enjoyed my time spent in Uganda and would do it all over again without hesitation. Now back in the UK I have more of an idea about which direction I want to head in for the near future. I made several good friends of the other volunteers and, in years to come, I know that I will look back at this project with fond memories.
(Adam helped with the construction of school facilities in Lwemuna, Mbale district, during December 2008)
Volunteering in eastern Uganda was just how I’d hoped it would be. The setting was really rural and genuine, away from the tourist traps of the cities. The people were fantastic and it was a real honour to get to meet, and work with, some of them in their homelands. One of the main differences to my preconceptions was that the local people were a lot more optimistic and upbeat than I had expected. Additionally, some of them were also far more educated, intelligent and knowledgeable than I would have previously have given them credit for. They understood their situation and were making attempts to better it. The landscape and environment was really nice – very lush and green and a good temperature. The food was definitely an ‘experience’ but it’s very useful to see how developing nations get by. The project was certainly well-needed, with 700 children trying to share one school building, and there was a very real sense of ‘making a difference’ that you could visually see. From this project I take with me a sense of satisfaction at spreading the volunteer ethos as well as memories of a wonderful land that has a lot more going for it than I would have previously have thought. All in all, it was a great experience – just what I wanted to get out of Africa.
